Rank the premiership sides from 2007-2022

[The 747]

Most enjoyable though is Eagles shafting Pies with 1 minute to go (and most of you will rank them low on this sort of list).

Yeah that was the best one for the enjoyment factor. Will always be grateful to WCE for doing that for all of us.

 

[Chaisa]

1. Geelong 2011 - 22-3 with a percentage around 160%, played dazzling footy, beat another 22-3 side with a stupidly high percentage thrice. Won all 3 finals fairly easily. I'm happy to put them first.
2. Hawthorn 2014 - 20-5 with a percentage around 140%, smashed an absolutely stacked Sydney team in the GF and did it despite a pretty nasty injury run. Second might be high but I do think they were the best of the Hawthorn 3-peat.
3. Collingwood 2010 - main flaw is that they needed two bites of the cherry to win, but otherwise was seriously good. They played sublime footy all year and the sides they beat to get to the flag were really good.
4. Geelong 2007 - in terms of sheer dominance, the best of the bunch. Problem is that it also a year Port made a granny and North the prelim, so the field was seriously weak that year.
5. Hawthorn 2013 - amazing W/L record, but had the feel of a cruise control kind of side? I dunno, I just think there were games that season they should've won by more. That their GF performance was a bit uninspiring didn't help.
6. Geelong 2009 - similar to Hawthorn 2013. Their percentage was a bit weak and some of the footy they played in the second half of the year wasn't much chop. Did have a genuinely great finals series though, and that St Kilda side was one of the ATG sides to not win it.
7. Melbourne 2021 - under-rated? Had probably the best final series of the bunch and you don't go 20-4-1 without being really good. Strangely struggled against bottom feeder sides, but in some ways that makes their record against good teams even more impressive. Only question mark might be just how good their competition was.
8. Geelong 2022 - another side that I think was really good. Went 21-4 with a percentage around 145%, and won their last 16 games in pretty dominant fashion. I do wonder whether it was a bit of a weak year competition wise, but I do think there's enough to say that they were a great team.
9. Hawthorn 2015 - amazingly high percentage, but a merely very good W/L record. In general I thought the competition was a bit weak that year, but still had some amazing wins when it mattered.
10. Sydney 2012 - 19-6 with a percentage around 140%, beat an ATG side in the granny. Style wise you could say they were a bit scrappy and less free-wheeling compared to other Premership sides, but again were very good.
11. Richmond 2019 - a tricky one. Their percentage was pretty underwhelming, and the field seemed really weak that year. Still, hard to complain too much about a side that won their last 12 straight and did so in very comfortable fashion.
12. Hawthorn 2008 - beat arguably the best runner-up of all-time in the GF, played finals really well and were generally rather good in the H&A season. In general I think they felt a bit less great than a lot of the sides above them, and the field outside of the Top 2 probably wasn't the best.
13. Richmond 2017 - great finals campaign, but were a bit meh (comparatively) in the H&A season which drags them down.
14. Richmond 2020 - hard to compare for obvious reasons. It's obviously a special flag and did beat some good sides in the finals. But I don't think they had the same sort of "they are amazing" factor that most other sides here had during 2020.
15. Western Bulldogs 2016 - only one to win it outside of the Top 4. H&A record good, but nothing special. Still, what a finals run.
16. West Coast 2018 - obviously were good, but got lucky with Richmond losing and the rest of the top teams felt a bit weak (Melbourne in a Prelim? Hawthorn Top 4?)

 

[Major Colvin]

1. Geelong 2009
2. Hawthorn 2008
3. Hawthorn 2014
4. Geelong 2011
5. Geelong 2007
6. Richmond 2019
7. Melbourne 2021
8. Collingwood 2010
9. Geelong 2022
10. Hawthorn 2013
11. West Coast 2018
12. Richmond 2020
13. Richmond 2017
14. Sydney 2012
15. Hawthorn 2015
16. Western Bulldogs 2016

 

[Freddy Swift]

Pretty good, I think 2017, 2015 a bit lower just due to "unearned" home state advantage. Would say the same for 2014 but that was a great performance on the day.

2020 could be higher, so what if it was a short season.

2021 better than 2012 and perhaps 2008. Melbourne were very good that year and dominated finals. 2008 (like 2009 and also 2010 and 2011) clearly gets points for overcoming a very strong opponent though.

Maybe 2018 last as they avoided playing a dominant Richmond who the pies took care of for them. Yes the Dogs were bottom half of eight but to the eye they were better than that all year and won two interstate finals. But again, the home state GF was "unearned"

Can I just ask where is it written you must ‘earn’ a home state grand final? The GF is played at the MCG each year (bar covid). Whether that’s right, wrong or unfair is an argument for another thread but it shouldn’t have any bearing on rankings in this thread.

 

[BigVic]

Richmond were the best team in 2018 but we defeated them in that year's Prelim before going down in the GF.

 

[Footy Smarts]

1. Geelong 2011 - 22-3 with a percentage around 160%, played dazzling footy, beat another 22-3 side with a stupidly high percentage thrice. Won all 3 finals fairly easily. I'm happy to put them first.

Yep. Of the Geelong flags this is clearly the right call. I don't know why people rate the others higher when we had narrow wins in finals in so the others. This also had clearly the best competition and by the end of the year we were comfortably the best team winning all 3 finals by 5 goals plus and pumping Collingwood by 96 points the week before finals.

 

[kickazz]

Can I just ask where is it written you must ‘earn’ a home state grand final? The GF is played at the MCG each year (bar covid). Whether that’s right, wrong or unfair is an argument for another thread but it shouldn’t have any bearing on rankings in this thread.

Well I put it in quotes because no, you don't literally have to earn it.

But in at least a few of those, exposed form showed that had the higher finishing non Vic club played it at their ground, they probably would have won. (Of course we'll never really know) So in my eyes that diminishes that flag a fraction.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Yep. Of the Geelong flags this is clearly the right call. I don't know why people rate the others higher when we had narrow wins in finals in so the others. This also had clearly the best competition and by the end of the year we were comfortably the best team winning all 3 finals by 5 goals plus and pumping Collingwood by 96 points the week before finals.

I'd argue that the 2009 Bulldogs and Pies would have wiped the floor with the 2011 Hawks and Eagles, as the losing prelimary finallists and - by extension - the other main premiership chances from the respective years.

I was so edgy before the 2009 preliminary final it was unbelievable. In 2011, it was almost unhealthy how certain I was that there was no way we could lose. And (even though we ultimately destroyed Collingwood in 2009) you could perhaps point to that as evidence that the 2011 Cats were the superior squad, but I'd suggest it's just that the Eagles were never a chance to win the premiership in 2011.

And yes, I know the 2011 Eagles actually beat us during the season at Subiaco; I can only tell you how it felt for me during that September. One of the best things about 2011 was beating the two teams who'd caused us to fall short so many times between 1989 and 1995 (Hawthorn and West Coast) in the early finals and then get our payback (and then some) against Collingwood for the 2010 embarrassment.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Collingwood needed 2 goes to win in 2010 but thats the 3rd best ?

By far the best laugh of the OP.

 

[Allezjuel]

Think it's a bit silly to rank Richmond 2019 against Richmond 2020 when they are largely the same side, plus or minus a couple of players. So I will group the 3x premiership teams, Hawthorn 2008 and Geelong 2022 are far enough removed from their respective 3x teams I will rank seperately.

1. Geelong 2007, 09, 11
2. Hawthorn 2013, 14, 15
3. Richmond 2017, 19, 20
4. Collingwood 2010
5. Melbourne 2021
6. Geelong 2022
7. Hawthorn 2008
8. Sydney 2012
9. Western Bulldogs 2016
10. West Coast 2018

 

[Cainozz]

1. Geelong 2011 - 22-3 with a percentage around 160%, played dazzling footy, beat another 22-3 side with a stupidly high percentage thrice. Won all 3 finals fairly easily. I'm happy to put them first.
2. Hawthorn 2014 - 20-5 with a percentage around 140%, smashed an absolutely stacked Sydney team in the GF and did it despite a pretty nasty injury run. Second might be high but I do think they were the best of the Hawthorn 3-peat.
3. Collingwood 2010 - main flaw is that they needed two bites of the cherry to win, but otherwise was seriously good. They played sublime footy all year and the sides they beat to get to the flag were really good.
4. Geelong 2007 - in terms of sheer dominance, the best of the bunch. Problem is that it also a year Port made a granny and North the prelim, so the field was seriously weak that year.
5. Hawthorn 2013 - amazing W/L record, but had the feel of a cruise control kind of side? I dunno, I just think there were games that season they should've won by more. That their GF performance was a bit uninspiring didn't help.
6. Geelong 2009 - similar to Hawthorn 2013. Their percentage was a bit weak and some of the footy they played in the second half of the year wasn't much chop. Did have a genuinely great finals series though, and that St Kilda side was one of the ATG sides to not win it.
7. Melbourne 2021 - under-rated? Had probably the best final series of the bunch and you don't go 20-4-1 without being really good. Strangely struggled against bottom feeder sides, but in some ways that makes their record against good teams even more impressive. Only question mark might be just how good their competition was.
8. Geelong 2022 - another side that I think was really good. Went 21-4 with a percentage around 145%, and won their last 16 games in pretty dominant fashion. I do wonder whether it was a bit of a weak year competition wise, but I do think there's enough to say that they were a great team.
9. Hawthorn 2015 - amazingly high percentage, but a merely very good W/L record. In general I thought the competition was a bit weak that year, but still had some amazing wins when it mattered.
10. Sydney 2012 - 19-6 with a percentage around 140%, beat an ATG side in the granny. Style wise you could say they were a bit scrappy and less free-wheeling compared to other Premership sides, but again were very good.
11. Richmond 2019 - a tricky one. Their percentage was pretty underwhelming, and the field seemed really weak that year. Still, hard to complain too much about a side that won their last 12 straight and did so in very comfortable fashion.
12. Hawthorn 2008 - beat arguably the best runner-up of all-time in the GF, played finals really well and were generally rather good in the H&A season. In general I think they felt a bit less great than a lot of the sides above them, and the field outside of the Top 2 probably wasn't the best.
13. Richmond 2017 - great finals campaign, but were a bit meh (comparatively) in the H&A season which drags them down.
14. Richmond 2020 - hard to compare for obvious reasons. It's obviously a special flag and did beat some good sides in the finals. But I don't think they had the same sort of "they are amazing" factor that most other sides here had during 2020.
15. Western Bulldogs 2016 - only one to win it outside of the Top 4. H&A record good, but nothing special. Still, what a finals run.
16. West Coast 2018 - obviously were good, but got lucky with Richmond losing and the rest of the top teams felt a bit weak (Melbourne in a Prelim? Hawthorn Top 4?)

We thrashed Richmond that year the only time we faced them didn't we? What's to say we wouldn't do it again to them in the grand final when we won every game in Melbourne that year. For an interstate side, that's pretty rare.

 

[Billyc]

My strength of premiership teams from 2007-2022. Cats first and most recent flags were the two standouts.

1. Geelong 2007
2. Geelong 2022
3. Collingwood 2010
4. Hawthorn 2015
5. Richmond 2019
6. Melbourne 2021
7. Geelong 2011
8. Hawthorn 2014
9. Geelong 2009
10. Hawthorn 2013
11. Richmond 2020
12. Richmond 2017
13. Western Bulldogs 2016
14. Sydney Swans 2012
15. West Coast Eagles 2018

This is so far off the mark. Keeping it with one club, you have Hawthorn’s 2013-2015 in reverse. That 2013 forward line close to best ever. By 2015 we were largely running on experience and guile.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Think it's a bit silly to rank Richmond 2019 against Richmond 2020 when they are largely the same side, plus or minus a couple of players. So I will group the 3x premiership teams, Hawthorn 2008 and Geelong 2022 are far enough removed from their respective 3x teams I will rank seperately.

1. Geelong 2007, 09, 11
2. Hawthorn 2013, 14, 15
3. Richmond 2017, 19, 20
4. Collingwood 2010
5. Melbourne 2021
6. Geelong 2022
7. Hawthorn 2008
8. Sydney 2012
9. Western Bulldogs 2016
10. West Coast 2018

Hate to be that guy and not sure how Hawthorn and Richmond compare, but I believe Geelong only had just over half their side (12 players) in all three flags from 2007-2011. For me, at least, it helps to give each particular squad a feel compared to the other.

The players who didn't play in all three in the respective years:

2007: King, Harley, Hunt, Byrnes, Mooney, N.Ablett, Stokes, G.Ablett, Rooke, Milburn

2009: Harley, Varcoe, Taylor, Byrnes, Mooney, Blake, Hawkins, G.Ablett, Rooke, Milburn

2011: Varcoe, Taylor, Hunt, West, Lonergan, Duncan, Hawkins, Stokes, Christensen, Podsiadly

Interestingly, you'd have to say 2009 is the weakest in terms of unique members (only Blake). 2007 had King and N.Ablett and 2011 had Lonergan, West, Duncan (who's of course now added a second), Christensen and Podsiadly.

 

[TheUnicorn]

My strength of premiership teams from 2007-2022. Cats first and most recent flags were the two standouts.

1. Geelong 2007
2. Geelong 2022
3. Collingwood 2010
4. Hawthorn 2015
5. Richmond 2019
6. Melbourne 2021
7. Geelong 2011
8. Hawthorn 2014
9. Geelong 2009
10. Hawthorn 2013
11. Richmond 2020
12. Richmond 2017
13. Western Bulldogs 2016
14. Sydney Swans 2012
15. West Coast Eagles 2018

Geelong 2022 second strongest!??!? no way

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Geelong 2022 second strongest!??!? no way

As others have mentioned it should really focus on each season on its merits, but it does help to have a little bit more context of seeing a couple of subsequent seasons unfold. How did the 2023 Cats ultimately go defending the crown? Did Melbourne and Brisbane remain perennial contenders for a few more years? Were Collingwood, Fremantle and Sydney legit or one year wonders... and so on.

It certainly didn't feel like it during the season, but the record books will show it was ultimately a pretty dominant season by the Cats and they were clearly the best side. After a nailbiter in the QF, the PF and GFs were basically over by half time.

 

[Toump Ass]

Melbourne were a Max Gawn kick after the siren in the last home and away game from finishing 4th at the end of the home and away season...

And? He kicked it. So we finished on top and a few weeks later against that same Geelong side Max Gawn kicked 5 goals in an 80+ point win.

Home and Away fixture is uneven anyway, ladder position not so important as finals.

 

[lordbob]

Not bad but how could you have pies '10 2nd last when they were so dominant the whole year, high % and toppled both Cats/Saints that were premiership fancies (over several years). Also, you could argue that 2020 was the hardest year to win it with so much needing to go right.

Because they werent good enough to win it on the first try. If you cant win it first go then you are clearly not that much better than your oppo.

2009 is the best top four I've seen: the brilliant Geelong, St Kilda and Bulldogs teams of that era in their absolute primes and Collingwood just entering their window. Carlton, Adelaide and Brisbane were seriously good too, easily top four material in another year.

Helps that the 08 hawks lacked the maturity and suffered key injuries(eg CHB/n1 ruck) taking them out of the running.

What has following seasons got to do with how good a side was in another season? There's no logic to that.

If a side goes undefeated and finishes with a percentage of 180, only to miss the finals next year, then guess what, that side would still be the best premiership side ever.

Following seasons show the depth of the list, mental maturity strength and determination. It also shows that the previous year wasnt a flash in the pan with everything going right but rather on the back of a strong team, system etc.

The grandfinalists of any year have the shortest preseason the following year. Being able to consecutively reach the top with the least preperation and the self control and drive to keep your team in good condition over the offseason despite the occasion for celebration reflects greatly on the quality of the teams mental faculties.

Look at the teams AA representation (excluding AA coach) vs the team they beat.
2007: Gee- 9 AA d PA- 3 AA
2008: Haw- 2 AA d Gee- 7 AA
2009: Gee- 5 AA d S.K - 5 AA
2010: Col- 4 AA d S.K - 2 AA
2011: Gee- 3 AA d Coll- 6 AA
2012: Syd- 2 AA d Haw- 3 AA
2013: Haw- 2 AA d Fre- 1 AA
2014: Haw- 3 AA d Syd- 4 AA
2015: Haw- 3 AA d Fre- 2 AA
2016: WB-2 AA d Syd- 5 AA
2017: Ric- 2 AA d Ade- 3 AA
2018: WC- 3 AA d Col- 2 AA
2019: Ric- 2 AA d GWS- 1 AA
2020: Rich- 1 AA d Gee-3 AA
2021: Mel-5 AA d WB- 3 AA
2022: Gee-5 AA d Syd- 2 AA

Whats the point of this? It highlights the dominance of 2007-2009 Geelongs top end. Imo Hawks 08 would have beaten any of the geelong teams in that period, despite the immense talent on the geelong list. It wasnt a David v Goliath as has been mentioned in this thread, it was an elite team beating a team of elite individuals. The hawks played better together as a whole and geelong had the better individual high end talent.

 

[Underarm]

Hate to be that guy and not sure how Hawthorn and Richmond compare, but I believe Geelong only had just over half their side (12 players) in all three flags from 2007-2011. For me, at least, it helps to give each particular squad a feel compared to the other.

The players who didn't play in all three in the respective years:

2007: King, Harley, Hunt, Byrnes, Mooney, N.Ablett, Stokes, G.Ablett, Rooke, Milburn

2009: Harley, Varcoe, Taylor, Byrnes, Mooney, Blake, Hawkins, G.Ablett, Rooke, Milburn

2011: Varcoe, Taylor, Hunt, West, Lonergan, Duncan, Hawkins, Stokes, Christensen, Podsiadly

Interestingly, you'd have to say 2009 is the weakest in terms of unique members (only Blake). 2007 had King and N.Ablett and 2011 had Lonergan, West, Duncan (who's of course now added a second), Christensen and Podsiadly.

Richmond had 14 triple premiership players, plus at least 8 double premiership players.

 

[Trav 20]

Melbourne were a Max Gawn kick after the siren in the last home and away game from finishing 4th at the end of the home and away season...

Not a bad effort to come back from 44 points down and beat Geelong at Geelong.

In fact we beat them 3 times in 2021.

When was the last time Geelong lost to the same side 3 times in a year ?

 

[Fadge]

And? He kicked it. So we finished on top and a few weeks later against that same Geelong side Max Gawn kicked 5 goals in an 80+ point win.

Home and Away fixture is uneven anyway, ladder position not so important as finals.

Not a bad effort to come back from 44 points down and beat Geelong at Geelong.

In fact we beat them 3 times in 2021.

When was the last time Geelong lost to the same side 3 times in a year ?

Don't get so precious, guys. You're sounding like Carlton and Richmond supporters.

We're comparing premiership teams since over the past 16 seasons.

If Melbourne were a kick after the siren in the last home and away match away from finishing 4th, there clearly wasn't much between them and the rest of the top 4 for the majority of the season.

The fact they separated themselves in the finals series is the reason they made this list, and also the reason I have listed them ahead of a number of other premiers...

 

[Toump Ass]

If Melbourne were a kick after the siren in the last home and away match away from finishing 4th, there clearly wasn't much between them and the rest of the top 4 for the majority of the season.

This logic is flawed because the fixture isn’t even. And the fact we only lost four games for the entire year and were an after-the-siren kick away from finishing fourth would suggest we had to beat some strong teams to win it.

 

[PCORF]

1. Geelong 2007
2. Collingwood 2010
3. Geelong 2011
4. Hawthorn 2014
5. Hawthorn 2013
6. Geelong 2022
7. Richmond 2019
8. Hawthorn 2015
9. Geelong 2009
10. Melbourne 2021
11. Richmond 2020
12. Sydney Swans 2012
13. Hawthorn 2008
14. Richmond 2017
15. West Coast Eagles 2018
16. Western Bulldogs 2016

 

[Fadge]

This logic is flawed because the fixture isn’t even.

I've said this 1000 times on this forum.... the variance in fixture difficulty over the course of a season is negligible.

 

[Toump Ass]

I've said this 1000 times on this forum.... the variance in fixture difficulty over the course of a season is negligible.

So you’ve been wrong 1000 times. Melbourne get Hawks and North twice this year; that’s an advantage.

As an aside if we lost to Geelong, we would have end the season in third place, not fourth- two points behind the Port Adelaide.

IMO percentage might be a better guide over the afl season than ladder position. Dogs, Dees, and Lions in 2021 looked like the 3 best sides to me.

 

[Fadge]

IMO percentage might be a better guide over the afl season than ladder positions.

Oh no, not this again....